Icemen Tumble Past Green in Season Opener 7-3

It wasn't the best night to be a goaltender.

Dartmouth junior Tom Martinson, who had the pleasure of beating Division 2 Union College, 9-2 in his team's opener, found himself feeling one of the fastest, most experienced offensive units in the BCAC. And the pleasure was all Harvard's.

In 20 minutes of playing time, Martinson faced 23 shots, and five of them found the back of the not. He got yanked, much to the delight of the Bright Center crowd, after Harvard's fifth tally at the 6:32 mark of the second parted.

It wasn't his best night, but then, after watching him play "Find the Puck" a few times over, you begin to think it won't be his worst either.

On the other side of the risk, Harvard freshman netminder Dick McEvoy, late of the state championship Falmouth team, also found opening night to be a bit tough. Yes, he only gave up one goal through the first two periods, and yes, he played fairly smoothly throughout the 7-3 Harvard win. But it wasn't easy.

For when the opposing team is Dartmouth--a collection of chippers and diggers, shall we say, lacking in offensive potency--there isn't a whole lot to do. You lead to get out of the flow, a little on edge perhaps, and a little less sharp certainly.

"I like to get into the game," McEvoy said afterward. "I just like to get a hold on the puck and do something with it to get myself involved in the play."

Last night, the freshman didn't get a chance to do much of anything.

McEvoy had 22 saves, but 12 of them came in the final period, when the Big Green put on a short-lived, too-little-too-late flurry. In the first period, he faced only seven shots, and several of them came from center ice. And in the second period, well, he could have taken a trip to the concession stand or even got out for a beer and maybe only his family would have noticed. "There was a while there when I don't think they even needed me," he said with a smile.

About, 18 seconds into the period, Dartmouth Center John Donnelly came flying in on right wing and let loose a low slapshot that the Crimson netminder kicked aside. Until the 14-44 mark, when he made his second save of the period, McEvoy barely saw the puck.

In the first period, frustrated by his inaction, McEvoy pressed a bit as freshmen are prone to do and let in a couple of mediocre goals.

"When I wanted to get into it too much [in the third period]. I overplayed a few shots," he admitted.

Coach Bill Cleary agreed "In the third period, there was some over-aggressiveness on his part--he's so quick, you know--but that's okay," Cleary said "I thought he played well. It was a tough game to play, going for such a long time without seeing the puck."

But it was also a game McEvoy needed, as he said, to "get one under my belt." In the Crimson's next game, Saturday night at RPI, Harvard's other freshman goaltender, Grant Blair of Stoney Creek, Ontario, will get his turn to show his stuff.

McEvoy, at least, certainly showed he can play in the ECAC, even if it wasn't the best night for a debut. "I'd rather have a lot of shots and make a lot of saves," he said. "But just winning is enough."